Ex-Marine Tied To Zion Girl’s Murder Convicted In Rape

ARLINGTON, Va. (STMW) – The former U.S. Marine and former Zion resident whose DNA was matched to a slain 8-year-old Zion girl was convicted Friday in Virginia of abducting and raping a University of Maryland graduate student.

Jorge Torrez, 21, also was convicted of attacking the graduate student’s friend and of attempting to kidnap a third woman at gunpoint, according to the Arlington, Va. Sun-Gazette.

Laura Hobbs, 8, and Krystal Tobias, 9, were found stabbed to death in Zion on Mother’s Day, 2005. Laura Hobbs’ father, Jerry, was jailed for five years charged with the two girls’ murders. He was released in August because DNA evidence implicated another man.

A Torrez family member told the press in August that his DNA matched the sample taken from Laura Hobbs. Lake County officials have not charged Torrez in connection with the girls’ murders.

An Arlington County, Va. jury last week convicted Torrez of rape, sodomy, abduction, burglary, breaking and entering and four weapons charges, the Sun-Gazette reported.

Torrez left the graduate student for dead in a secluded, wooded area near Arlington in February.

He approached the graduate student, 23, and a friend of hers in February. He forced the women at gunpoint inside the friend’s home, bound them using electrical cords from a vacuum and an iron, the Sun-Gazette reported.

Torrez forced the 23-year-old into an SUV and raped her. He drove her to a remote area, where he choked her using her scarf until she passed out. She regained consciousness and was found seeking help and medical treatment in a neighboring jurisdiction.

DNA from the rape victim was found on Torrez and her earrings and student ID were found in his vehicle.

Torrez is scheduled for sentencing Dec. 10. The jury recommended he receive a sentence of five life sentences, followed by 168 years in prison, plus a $190,000 fine, the newspaper reported.